About

The services of Steps to HOPE include a 24-hour hotline where crisis intervention is available and are guranteed confidential.We offer:Shelter - Emergency safe shelter availableCounseling- A certified counselor is available by appointmentReferrals - Hospital, Court, and Legal Support Group - meets weekly facilitated by certified counselorsCommunity Education - Public Awareness, Resource Library, School and workplace violence prevention.Steps to HOPE believes in victim-based advocacy and response to domestic violence and sexual assault in Polk County. We believe that domestic violence and sexual assault are crimes committed against victims, not something caused by them. We believe that these crimes, at any level, must not be tolerated. Therefore, Steps to HOPE supports the need for identifying and training all community agencies by developing a shared protocol for victim-centered response and advocacy.Facts About Domestic ViolenceAn estimated 3 to 4 million American women are battered each year by their husband or partner.Every fifteen seconds a woman is battered in her home.Victims of domestic violence experience physical, sexual, and emotional violence as well as isolation, economic abuse, and intimidation.1 in 5 college students and 1 in 10 high school students experience physical violence in dating relationships.Each year 3.3 million children are exposed to domestic violence.Every 4 days a domestic violence homicide occurs in North Carolina